NEW YORK CITY — Burrito chain Chipotle pulled its pork from the city for a few days, but carnitas will soon return, according to a company spokesman.
The chain’s national pork shortage was first reported by the Associated Press, which said there would be no pork at a third of Chipotle’s locations because the company had suspended a supplier for violating its guidelines at the start of the week.
Chipotle communications director Chris Arnold said an "animal welfare" issue was to blame. Chipotle said on its website that it does not use factory-farmed pigs.
“We suspended a pork supplier for inconsistencies in our protocol,” Arnold wrote in an email.
Chipotle’s carnitas, pulled pork marinated in bay leaf, thyme and juniper berries, is a menu staple. On Thursday, Chipotle branches in Chelsea and Midtown were without carnitas. Arnold said a “snafu” in the stock recovery caused the city’s current carnitas blackout.
But Arnold said that carnitas shipments back to the city began yesterday because the problem suppliers do not feed New York. “The pork from this supplier was in certain of our distribution centers, but not all. Cities that were served by these distribution centers are the ones that are currently without pork,” Arnold said. “The others are fine.”
Jose Rivas, 29, ordered a carnitas burrito over the phone at the West 34th Street location, but got a call back saying they were out. He switched to steak and said he didn’t mind, though he described the carnitas as “super good.”
“It’s carnitas, who doesn’t like it?” he asked.
Vanlencia Pinckney, 44, of the Bronx, who works nearby, said she appreciated that Chipotle adhered to its food standards.
“I think it’s good that they’re looking out for their customers,” she said.
Ryan McCormack, 31, a carpenter working around the corner from the Chelsea location, said he gets a burrito every other day and cares about the animal welfare standards.
“I like organic food,” he said. “Free range. I don’t support anybody keeping animals in cages.”
Arnold said the animal welfare issue violated Chipotle’s standards, but the company would give the unused pork to local food banks and shelters.
“We are donating all of the pork we have chosen not to use, because it is perfectly fine,” Arnold wrote in an email. “It simply isn’t to our higher welfare standard.”
